Business Plus Accounting Software, News, and Updates

A point of sale system is generally designed to facilitate the sales process with your consumers, and on the surface, they appear to be nothing more than an advanced cash register of sorts. There are general systems available, but many are customized for specific industries, such as for retail or restaurant businesses. Like a cash register, they do allow sales to be rung up, receipts to be printed out, and payment to be received. However, today's systems can also do so much more. In fact, with how useful the latest POS system models available are, you may find that these are systems that you simply must have in your business today if you want to boost efficiency and streamline your operations.

For example, a point of sale system in a retail center may also perform back-end or behind-the-scenes functions for you. With each sale that is completed and processed, the system can be used to track inventory. This can help you to more easily track shrink and to keep up with ordering new inventory as needed. It can also be used to monitor accounting and financial features, and some can generate detailed accounting reports that can be used for budgeting and tax records. Likewise, restaurant models of these systems can perform these same functions, tracking how much food or ingredients may have been used and more.

As you can see, there are many benefits associated with investing in the right point of sale system for your business. There are many different POS system models available for you to choose from, and selecting the right one is important. Because of this, it is important for you to review the features and specifications of each one before making a buying decision. When you have taken the time to find the right POS system to invest in, you will find that many of your operational functions are streamlined, and some of them may be completed with more accuracy because they are automated. You can begin exploring the different options available today as a first step in making an important and highly beneficial upgrade to your business.

In this day and age it can be difficult to hire staff that is completely trustworthy. We receive calls from restaurant owners all the time that have just realized that they have had employees stealing from them for a year or more and they did not realize it until it was too late. Even if you believe you have staff that you can fully trust, your restaurant may be presenting a huge temptation for dishonesty. The restaurant industry provides a huge opportunity for employees to handle and pocket cash and manipulate orders. Typically if there is a way to be dishonest, an employee will figure it out. So how can you safeguard yourself from being taken advantage of? Here are a few simple steps.

1) Use Security Options In Your POS System

Most, if not all, POS systems come with security features built in. If you are not using them, start now. Everyday functions in your POS system present a way to steal. Functions such as reprinting a receipt, removing items or orders, splitting tickets, and comping and discounting can all be used by an employee to pocket cash. Although it may be an inconvenience to your manager to have to approve these functions, it could save you a large amount of money in the end.

2) Review Security Reports Regularly

Your POS system should be able to report any time an order is removed, comped, or discounted. Check these reports often to make sure this in not happening regularly. Also check to make sure there is not a pattern to these reports and that you don’t see the majority of the activity coming from one employee.

3) Use Swipe Cards Instead of Passwords

POS systems typically have an option to allow an employee to use a secure function either by using a manually entered manager password or a manager swipe card. Using manual passwords works fine but sooner or later someone is going to watch you close enough to find out your password. Using manager swipe cards solves this issue. You must be there with your card to approve the particular function they are trying to access.

Swipe cards should not only be used for managers but for employees logging in as well. By allowing your servers to manually log into the system you allow the opportunity for employees to clock each other in and out and put orders in under another person’s ID. This can be a huge security hole. Set up employee login cards for each of your employees. This way you can make sure that they alone are responsible for their own orders.

If you are a BPA customer and would like to know more about using these features please call our technical support at (801) 336-3303. If your POS system does not support these functions and you are interested in a system that allows you to secure your business please visit www.businessoftware.com or call us at (801) 336-3303.

In 2010, we sent emails to all of our customers (using the email address we have on file) explaining that your POS system will need to be updated to be in compliance with PCI standards. The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) was created to ensure that information on their credit card accounts will be protected from fraud.

If you have not received this PCI update from Business Software Solutions, please give us a call as soon as possible to schedule an update.

Note: Though you may have received PCI updates from your credit card merchant, if you have not received the update for your Business Plus Accounting software, you are not in compliance with PCI Standards.

The following are instructions to setup manager passwords or manager cards. If you would like to purchase manager cards for your system, give us a call at 801-336-3303.

Creating a Master Password

In order for manager cards to work you must first setup a Master Password. A Master Password will work for any password that is used in the system so be sure to keep it secure.

1. For Restaurant/Delivery/Hotel users, from the main menu in the BPA software click on Business System.

2. Click on Definitions.

3. Click on Master Password.

4. Enter the Master password in the boxes labeled Enter New Master Password and Verify New Master Password and click on OK.

Creating Manager Cards/Passwords

Employee password screen:

1. From the Definitions menu click on Passwords for Modules.

2. Enter the Master Password.

3. Click on Assign Passwords to Users.

Note: If you do not have the option to assign Passwords to users then from the Business System menu click on the System Tools pull down menu at the top of the BPA program then click on Assign Passwords.)

4. Enter the Employee Number for the employee that you want to assign the card to and press Enter.

5. If the employee has a current password enter it, or the Master Password in the box labeled Enter Current Password. If the employee does not have a current password the box will be grayed out. If you are using manager cards, the new password will be on the new manager card. Place the curser in the box labeled Enter New Password and swipe the new manager card, or type in the password for this manager.

6. To verify the new password: swipe the new manager card, or type in the password again and press OK.

This allows you to specify functions that restaurant managers can perform. There are 3 manager groups that you can configure. For example, you can have Manager Group 1 have full access and Manager Groups 2-3 have limited access.

1. From the Definitions menu, click Passwords for Modules

2. Click on Manager Password Groups

3. Scroll through the list for each group, and define permissions for each group.

Note: Most users will leave Manager Group 1 as Full Access (all Ys) and customize Manager Group 2 and 3.

4. Press ESC on your keyboard when finished.

Assigning Rights To The Manager

1. From the definitions menu click on Passwords for Modules.

2. Click on Assign Modules to Users.

3. Enter the ID Number for the employee that you want to assign rights to and press Enter.

4. In the Enable column, change the N to a Y for any of the modules that you want the manager to have access to and press Esc key when finished.

Note: At minimum, each manager should have at least one manager group assigned to them in the Restaurant System, or the POS Manager (POS MGR) assigned to them in the Retail POS System.

Business Plus Accounting is a full featured business accounting software package. We provide Point of Sale and other applications for many different industries built on top of our BPA software. This gives us the most comprehensive set of software solutions on the market today.